Season's Changin'! (Washington, Hope: home, move, train)

[Maine Writer]

Skytrekker, that was beautiful. You truly captured autumn.

For me, autumn is cool mornings, sometimes foggy and other times frosty, that warm into a gorgeous afternoon. Animals are moving about a lot this year. When I stand on my back porch at night I hear early migrators passing overhead. It's the amusement of red squirrels scurrying around with more crab apples than they can pack into an empty tree trunk, then trying to add one more. Autumn is when I stop working to watch cedar waxwings dive off tree tops to catch insects and swoop back to the tree as though they hadn't left. Geese flying overhead. If you listen carefully you can hear them before they move into your line of sight. And if you listen more carefully and look up when you hear an odd sound you might see loons flying high overhead. If they don't call you probably wouldn't ever know that they were there. Obnoxious raccoons rip open bags of bird seed and chicken food but refuse to try the beef left in the livetrap especially for them.

Ash trees start to turn in late August and will have dropped their leaves before the maples are gearing up for their glory. This is when I stop at the mailbox to listen to the leaves rattle in the breeze and fall to the driveway, soon to be added to the garden. Apples are so heavy on the branches that they weigh them down to touch the ground. Autumn is the smell of apples - sauce, pies and cider.

I am most content in autumn. I can look at my field and see the products of my hard work - pumpkins, tomatoes, corn, peppers, summer and winter squash, interesting gourds, rutabaga, carrots, more turnip (there's never too much turnip!), potatoes peaking out of the soil as if to say "don't forget us!" I'm a farmer but autumn isn't the end of the growing season for me. It's the second spring, a time to plant cold weather loving greens and roots, to close the door on the greenhouse at night and to marvel that while frost has killed my squash plants my greenhouse will produce for three more months. At the end of my work day I build a fire in the woodstove to take the chill from the house and curl up with a warmed apple cider. It's my warm and cozy wool socks.

It's rainy days when you can sit to visit with friends instead of rushing around to work work work.

[starwalker]

skytrekker -- that was wonderfully written!

Having been born and lived much of my life in the northlands, I know whereof you write, and you evoked it so well. I look for hints here in NC... The days are getting shorter here, too; I used to arise at first light and now it is still dark and first light comes after first coffee. Also just today I noticed hints of yellow in some of the more sensitive, and stressed, trees.

But I really miss the things you wrote so eloquently about... and scuffling through the dry, fallen autumn leaves... I too enjoy the changing out of the summer clothes for fall and then winter ones.

[Unhappycamper]

For me, Autumn means enjoying my one hour commute to Campus for morning classes. Then after spending all morning learning stuff I get to go to work. After work I get to stay up untill 2am doing homework so I can be up at 6 the next morning so I can do it all again!

I can not wait to retire.

[mainebrokerman]

autumn is seeing frost again, feelin a chill in the air, watching as daylight quickly fades into the evening, as leaves meander to the multi-colored ground,, we can hear the sounds of chainsaws ,(getting wood ready for colder days ahead) we see an urgency in many animals to hoard and store food away for times when food isnt available,,
but we also hear sounds of high school football games, fairs, school bells,, its time to go "pick apples" or pumpkins, its time to insulate the house, its time to see if our winter jackets still fit, and if we can find our gloves, and hats. its time to roast more and grill less,,cook a big roasting chicken or have a ham, or roast pork for sunday dinner.

[msina]

autumn is hayrides, cider and cuddling up to stay warm, it's pumpkins, apples and the last time of the year to mow the lawn, hunting, canning, stacking the woodpile. autumn is full of smells for me. woodsmoke, baking, fallen leaves, sourdough starter, coffee and bacon. Dayum!! I'm so thankful to be home.

[Elcarim]

MSINA, you're too cute! I'm sensitive to smells, too. It's our sensual nature, Girl!

[moughie]

Your words conjure up beautiful images skytrekker and Maine Writer!!
Thanks so much

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[skytrekker]

Maine Writer- I have been told I have a high aptitude for writing, I did not major in English.
I have an undergrad degree in Geography and Sociology.....and grad work in counseling-go figure

also thanks all for the compliments-

[raygabs]

thanks guys for the pictures, I can't wait to see more. I too love the smells of autumn. I especially love the changing light. The air is so clear and crisp. I can't wait to put on cozy socks after a long day of being outside and starting a fire. The best!! Apples and pumpkins and cocoa - oh my!.

[FLtoMaine]

Thanks for the wonderful writings and pics. Fall is my favorite time of year - yet another reason I should be heading due north!